Dover Athletic assistant manager and Academy boss Mike Sandmann on the togetherness of their promotion-winning Isthmian Premier side

The togetherness of Dover’s squad was apparent throughout their promotion-winning season.

Whites bounced back after a tough few years as they earned promotion to National League South under boss Jake Leberl.

Local lad Ryan Hanson rejoined Dover on loan from Tonbridge for the run-in.

Assistant manager Mike Sandmann, who also runs the club’s successful Academy, revealed the 24-year-old midfielder was quick to notice how close-knit the squad were, and Hanson had little hesitation in making his loan move a permanent one this summer.

Sandmann said: “I speak a lot - even at the Academy - about an environment. An environment that you try to create for individuals to grow and develop in.

“That environment has to be consistent and it has to be transparent where everybody knows where they stand. Everybody knows the expectations.

“Once the players buy into that environment and the expectations and they understand exactly what’s expected, they can thrive in it because they can really start to take leadership of that. They know there’s good people at the football club that have their best interests at heart.

“I think once they realise that, come into the group, come into the environment and see it, they really want to be a part of it and do well.

“That’s not just for the football club but for each other and the supporters, as well. There were new lads coming in during the season.

“Ryan Hanson, for example, when he came in, the first thing he spoke about was the group. You can see and sense that real togetherness.

“You have no choice but to buy into that as any new player coming in. That just makes the group stronger and stronger. It makes a difference.

“You don’t always have to have the best players but, if you can have the best